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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 1002.PDF
FLIGHT, 25 May 1951 627 CIVIL AVIATION JUDGEMENT FOR THE REDST HE result of the protracted dispute over the legal ownership of the 40 civil aircraft which formerly belonged to the Chinese Central Air Transport Corporation was announced in Hong Kong on May 21st. The Chief Justice, Sir Gerard Howe, ruled that the American-registered company, Civil Air Transport Incorporated, had failed to establish ownership and that the machines were therefore to become the property of the Chinese Communist Government. Two months are being allowed for an appeal. It will be recalled that the aircraft are part of a fleet of 71 grounded at Kai Tak airport since October, 1949. Sir Walter Monkton, K.C., acting as counsel for the American plaintiffs, said that their claim was made on behalf of the partnership of Gen. Claire Chennault and Mr. Whiting Willauer who, by a transaction in December, 1949, had purchased the aircraft from the Chinese Nationalist Government for $1,500,000. The Chief Justice, however, was of the opinion that this sale was merely a device entered into by both parties in order to prevent the aircraft passing into the hands of the Chinese Communists. THE PANAGRA DISPUTE PAN-AMERICAN AIRLINES have asked the C.A.B. to arbi-trate in a dispute which has split the board of directors of Panagra, the American international airline jointly owned by P.A.A. and the large steamship interests of W. R. Grace and Company. The joint owners are each represented on the Panagra Board by four members. The dispute arose in 1949, when Pan American proposed an equipment interchange between National Airlines and Panagra which would provide a one-aircraft service from the north-eastern United States to points in South America. At that time Pan American had an agreement to purchase a 30 per cent interest in National Airlines, while W. R. Grace and Co. had agreed to pur- chase 18 per cent of the shares. Later, however. National Airlines repudiated their agreement with P.A.A., leaving Grace with a 17.4 per cent interest. Although Pan American now wish to abandon the scheme for an equipment interchange, the four Grace directors are insisting that the plan goes through. A Pan American spokesman has alleged that control over airlines by shipping interests is contrary to national policy; P.A.A. have asked for a complete investigation of the extent of control by Grace over National Airlines. While unwilling to foster an equipment exchange between Panagra and National, Pan American, however, are pursuing a plan to effect a similar agreement with Eastern Air Lines. B.E.A. AND PRAGUE FROM May 18th B.E.A. discontinued their services betweenLondon and Prague; and facilities granted for the Czecho- slovakian State Airlines to operate services between Czechoslo- vakia and this country will be withdrawn from June 17th. For some time the London-Prague flights have been a thorn in B.E.A.'s side as load factors were mostly unsatisfactory; the most regular passengers have hitherto been diplomatic couriers. Apart from the low traffic-potential on this route, however, the general attitude of the Czech authorities in Prague was undoubtedly a deciding factor in curtailing these schedules. A note published by the Foreign Office states that the work of B.E.A.'s office in Prague was being constantly obstructed by the Czechs, whose activities have included intimidation, arrest and interrogation of Czech members of the staff. The note also points out that it has long been the practice of the Czech authorities to give a virtual monopoly in the carriage of air freight between the two countries to the " Czech State Airlines. This discriminatory practice has been main- tained, the note points out, despite frequent representations by B.E.A. and has affected both Czech exports to and exports from the United Kingdom. The proportion of freight made available for B.E.A. has diminished progressively, it is stated, and has now become negli- gible. For this reason the Corporation has decided that con- tinued operation between the two countries is no longer justified. The Czech flights to Britain were run daily and, although the WHEELS OF PROGRESS: This delightful study of transport ancient and modern comes from Tonkin, in Northern Indo-China, where Thai tribesmen may sample either the modernity of the local French airline's DC-3 or resort to the rigours of the age-old buffalo-cart. attitude of the Czecholsovak authorities has prevented full co-opera- tion, relations between the two airlines themselves have been friendly. Apart from a reduction in route-mileage the Corpora- tion's loss will not be a very real one, however, for the services to Prague have hitherto been run at a loss of £46,000 annually. THE LIGHTEST DAKOTA? BY making use of the lightest possible materials and equipment,a South African firm of maintenance engineers has turned out what must be one of the lightest passenger-carrying versions of the Dakota in the world. Weighing 1,300 lb. less than the figure for the normal basic-equipped-type, it recently carried out a maiden flight to the United Kingdom. Passenger capacity has been increased by six and now provides for a total of 32 persons plus a crew of four. The conversion was carried out entirely by a maintenance firm at Germiston. The work entailed replacing the metal floor in the passenger section by stressed wood; the engines, airframe and control layout, however, have not been altered, but a completely equipped galley is now positioned in the crew compartment. Although the passenger seats are much lighter than those nor- mally fitted, passengers on the maiden flight are reported to have found them "comfortable and relaxing." U.S. HELICOPTER CONVENTION THE first official cross-country flight and landing to be made bya helicopter entirely on its autopilot was a feature of a spectacu- lar two-day display organized by the American Helicopter Associa- tion at Washington recently. The flight, from Morton to Anacostia, was made by the Piasecki XHJP-i prototype of the U.S. Navy's HUP-1 seven-seat utility machine. The display included a forma- tion fly-past by 19 different types of helicopter. The occasion was also marked by a two-day conference in which representatives of the C.A.A. made some encouraging predictions on the future of the commercial helicopter operations. One speaker estimated that, on the basis of a 15-mile block distance and an annual utilization of 2,000 hr, the helicopter operating cost curve would decrease with rising capacity from one dollar to 33 cents, with a tendency for the curve to flatten at the 20-30 passenger categories. Compared with the DC-3 an(i tne proposed Boeing 498-3, however, the helicopter would have 25 per cent higher direct costs. Speeds up to 130 knots were thought to be entirely feasible for pure helicopters without "assisting devices." AIR CEYLON'S CONSTITUTION THE new financial arrangements governing the establishment ofAir Ceylon, which is operated by A.N.A., were announced recently. The company's capital comprises 2,000,000 rupees, of which the Ceylon Government will provide 51 per cent and A.N.A. 49 per cent. Ceylon will be represented by three directors on the board, the remaining two being Capt. Ivan Holyman, managing director of A.N.A., and Mr. H. F. Walsh, his general manager. Under the new agreement the A.N.A. shares cannot be trans-
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